SUPPORT!

Friday, September 28, 2012

Overtired and emotionally overwrought, I still managed to give "good show" last night, at least according to the listeners ... and myself (he he.) Not much to say; I think I more than "blew mad wad" last week (see post below.)

Cabin in the Woods, pretty darn good. It held the interest of a 10-year-old, and was damn entertaining! Click on our doomed heroine and hero to reach the playlist, audio archives and comments board for last night's horrorcast™.

Oh, and for Felix and others who might be interested, here is a direct link to the MCoQ show with director Frank Henenlotter—one of the Castle broadcasts of which I'm most proud, done around the time of the release of Bad Biology.

Lots of special programming / events coming up on the show in October; for starters:

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Whoa! Woke up in my usual "mood," after my usual 5 hours' sleep, and there it was: I opened the new M.B. CD, Aeternum Aevum, on Peripheral Records; thumbed off the shrink wrap in that "guy who's worked in a record store"-way, and in one sentence Signore Bianchi had summed up my human condition (my eyes weren't even fully open yet) -

"Waiting for the eternity, in the anguish of the temporary."

The "Struggle Eternale," or some shit. But I won't be like the lead character in Paddy Chayefsky's Altered States, and say, "oh no, honey, I realize NOW my place is HERE, with YOU and the KIDSZZZZ; the ANSWER is that there is 'NO ANSWER.'" Nope, tried that, didn't work. I love my son, in fact I cherish him; he fills my life in a way that you cannot describe to someone who's never been a parent, but what I'm talking about here is something even more personal, which is to ACTUALLY FEEL OKAY in those moments that you're just staring at the ceiling, or laying there, having just come awake, or just about to go to sleep, or sitting there, kind of half-interested after working all day. I wanna feel OK in THOSE MOMENTS, and I'm holding on, until I get my "answer," William-fucking-Hurt, though something tells me that it's just one bullet and a LOT of nerve away.

Pfumpf. Onto this week's radio show (we won't talk about last night's Prison Tatt showcase; too much to say, photos to download/upload, and my thoughts are coalescing but not quite congealed, yet.) That I can actually function this depressed is pretty impressive, eh? ... Oh, I suppose many of us do it every day, in fact I know a few of you personally ...) Not having that as-intended Louise Brooks photo in place really bugged me, subtle for a My Castle of Quiet screen capture but just what I had wanted.

Still, our "option 2" is really quite fine, and much more direct in its presentation (thanks to SARZAN!) And, if you have not seen Peter Lorre and Colin Clive in Mad Love aka The Hands of Orlac, drop whatever you are doing right now, even if you're holding a baby, and see it. Dr. Gogol loved Galatea; "you are cruel ... but only to be kind." That is my kind of movie, put bluntly, so if you like what I write here, and/or more importantly what I do on the radio and the records I release, Mad Love is just about as good as it gets, in terms of a life unrequited; Peter Lorre's performance is crushing.

I'm taking this computer out of my hands before I do harm with it. Click on Doctor Gogol, so pleased with himself for being horrific, and for his deception, to reach the audio archives and playlist/comments board of this week's horrorcast™

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Credit where credit is due (avoid clichés "like the plague," the managing editor in my head says, but screw it) -the above captures are taken from the short film, Fable, by Gerald Slota, for which I did the score, back when I was in that limbo of not really being sure if I wanted to "do stuff" again, haHA! Well I'm sure doing stuff now, and Prison Tatt Records has become my sort-of day job; or at least I have enough tasks related to the label that I can easily fill a 40-hour week with them. That's good, right?

With "success" comes caution and reassessment, but that's just my looking-over-the-shoulder tendencies, too well-heeled to ameliorate now. And I'm not even talking about the making-shitloads-of-money type of success; that's not what WE who are all in THIS do THIS for, but in the form of Records of the Week at Aquarius, in my beloved SF, healthy distro activity (both in the form of trades, and things like swift, no-b.s. orders from great guys like RRRon), and press and radio play aplenty (once again generating from Northern California, where my ashes will most definitely scattered to the heavy winds.) So, though I'm loathe to plan / manage live events, I thought that I should do something, if only for the bands and to further solidify the label's growing reputation, as it were—here comes Prison Tatt Showcase #2!

With performances by—

Explosive Improvised Device - Anthony Saunders has been honing and fine-tuning and ever-evolving this project since it began. This set on my WFMU show displays well how artfully EID meld harsh noise with an INA-GRM, musique concréte compositional sensibility. His Prison Tatt release, the one-sided LP Non-Conformance and Corrective Action, is soon to come, though EID has tons of releases on other labels available (and a brand-new one, on Factotum Tapes, which will in all likelihood be available at this show.) The EID record will also be the first to directly address the label's "house cause" of prisoner's rights worldwide.

OPPONENTS - These guys are on a high that just will not stop! OPPONENTS continue to work on their sound, never satisfied with doing just one thing or staying in place. Their headlining stint at the trés exclusif Prison Tatt backyard 4th-of-July BBQ was a shower of beats, a rally (not unlike Cabaret Voltaire's The Voice of America in its electric urgency), as my neighbors showered fireworks down upon my roof, in time to the music. The material for their second Prison Tatt release, this time a full-length LP, is already in the can, and what can I say, but what I always say—there is no one who quite sound like OPPONENTS. For solid proof of that energy and eclecticism, visit the sounds page of their official Web home. OPPONENTS (and EID) are playing early in the lineup, so get your asses there on time!

KILT - Fresh off of tour, where they've been playing as the somewhat rare, full trio (Bob Bellerue, Sandor Finta, and Raven Chacon), these organic, heavy-noise meisters have recorded a tour LP called Santa Muerte (very affordable download at that link; can also stream in full), which is the only KILT release I'd deem mightier than their Prison Tatt CD, Kitchen Sorcery. This night's set will be an even rarer duo of Sandor and Bob—as the Raven must fly, home to New Mexico. You can still see the KILT trio TONIGHT, at Death By Audio (49 South 2nd St., Brooklyn, NY) w/ Maria Chavez, Long Distance Poison, and Laura Ortman + Michael Garofalo.

The Communion - Coming off the milestone of their excellent Prison Tatt release, A Desired Level of Unease, The Communion are also one of those bands that just seem to get better and better. Amazing new songs, continually tighter and even-more-emotionally-charged sets are what The Communion have to offer. They are also the sole, full-lineup, guitar-based metal/grind band playing at the show; that sound being such a big part of the label, I have to thank these guys for representing at both of our showcases thus far. Check here, at their bandcamp, for a whole lot of stuff I wish I'd released as well, as there just are no "bad" Communion songs. Someday, a vinyl boxed set is definitely in order!

Long Distance Poison - I've come such a long way with LDP; grown together, truly—high points being their live set on my WFMU show (for which I was graciously invited to collaborate conceptually), writing liner notes for both their Signals to a Habitable Zone LP as well as their upcoming collection of remixes (LP & DVD), Gliese Translations (both on Fin Records), and hanging out, BBQ-ing with Nathan and Erica at Voice of the Valley (to say nothing of the silly, "stout-man" dancing.) Their Prison Tatt one-sided LP, The Bog Nebula, is simply one of my favorite Long Distance Poison tracks, though there are so many good ones. (Going fast, though still available; the record will be on sale at this show for $13.)

T.O.M.B. - The second-ever band to release on Prison Tatt, T.O.M.B. (as well as Grasshopper before them) put their faith in me, and delivered a great record to release, Xesse (last 3 sleeved copies available at this show! I have a few unsleeved for $10.) T.O.M.B.'s recordings are sometimes-overwhelming journeys into some very dark essences and emotions—not quite "industrial," not quite "metal"—and they do the sound better than anyone I can think of. T.O.M.B. are coming off the high of opening for Sunn O))) (at Philly's Union Transfer; scroll down at that link for T.O.M.B. photo gallery), and from all indications their live show has evolved/grown to match their sound in intensity—I'm a little scared! So stick around to the end of our night, as T.O.M.B. promises to leave all fully drained.

Between-band DJ sets will be presented by DJ Deep Creep, and I'm excited to see what he chooses for the membranes that will link all our artists together. You can check out some of his sets/mixes at that link.

This is all happening at The Meatlocker, in Montclair, NJ, at 8 Park Street. 8 p.m. doors. Prison Tatt is a New Jersey-based label, and I wanted to leave the hurried hassles of Brooklyn's overripe music scene aside for the night, and just have a coalition of energies in a relatively calmer, though still urban setting, closer to the label's home.

Please note that all in-print Prison Tatt vinyl titles will be available, most for a discounted price of $13 (some cheaper), and CDs for $8. Most tapes in our distro will be available for $6 (doubles $8); most distro vinyl will be $13 as well. CD/CDr pricing varies.

Most importantly, hope to see you there! Thanks for your support!; you know who you are.

Friday, September 14, 2012

There they were, pounding heavy against the double glass—Grafvolluth, legendary, black-Pagan metal craftsmen, plying their considerable trade right in my face. I seriously cannot thank the band enough, Joe @ Regimental in particular, for the months of emailing and scheduling between us that finally made this happen. I'm personally gratified to be presenting an ever-widening variety of black metal on the show. ...

Much, much credit must go to my WFMU colleague Diane Kamikaze, always a consummate professional, for capturing Grafvolluth's frenetic mania, and Tyrinn's forceful, necrotized vocals, in a set that expanded upon the greatness of the Long Live Death! album, with two new songs, and a charged sound which added yet another layer of live power to the essence I knew from their records.

You can hear last night's archive by clicking on the image above. Our friend—he's a little wrapped up, but can still take you to your streaming options, and last night's playlist and lively discussion board.

I want to thank several friends in Germany for checking in, both on the live playlist and via email, for sharing their thoughts on some of the NS black metal that is occasionally played on the show. The issue of Neo-National Socialism is certainly no more visceral anywhere than it is in Deutschland, especially due to current, tragic events there, and the perspective of my listener-friends is always welcome and much appreciated/respected. To view the live discussion, see our playlist.

Though I am staunchly anti-censorship, I also have no wish to promote Nationalist values of any stripe, and certainly have a personal admiration and respect for all cultures. Where the Absurd track I played may be viewed by myself as a "curiosity," or more well-put, a black-metal-genre artifact, I can also appreciate that the issue is much more contemporary and passionate in Europe (sort of like 9/11 is for NY-area locals who lived through it, though admittedly that's not the strongest comparison.)

My Castle of Quiet the radio program, by its very nature courts the fringe in any number of ways, and I am always grateful to WFMU for the forum and opportunity to do my bit for a loyal and rarely-served (in radio terms) "niche" audience. It was most certainly not my intention to offend anyone, and I don't believe anyone was offended per se, though a healthy and welcome discussion certainly ensued. It's a fine line I must often tread, as at least sonically speaking, "offensive" could be viewed as one of the totems of the show.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Together since 1999, Grafvolluth are black-metal craftsmen, creating complex, epic material that incorporates experimental music (they have shared membership with Kama Rupa; live video here) and progressive-rock arranging. The core of their songs stays very raw and dirty, though; no less "ugly" for the sophistication of its context.

Their latest full-length, Long Live Death! on Regimental Records (a longstanding [2002] purveyor of vital black metal), is a My Castle of Quiet favorite, equal parts rough-hewn and contemplative/spiritual, like some beautiful, old-Teuton carving.

Grafvolluth rarely play live, maybe never on the radio, so their LIVE appearance on MCoQ is truly an event "against time." Don't miss it!

Friday, September 7, 2012

Coffin Joe's vision of hell—a lot of pain, a bit of pleasure, and very, very colorful. You're damned for eternity, receiving torture on a regular basis, but at least you live in the pentagram-downward version of a David Hockney painting. Could be worse! (I'll refrain from repeating any coffee-break, scatological "levels of hell" jokes here.)

Despite the lack of our scheduled guests Sutekh Hexen, I believe I did (for me) a show of great focus and selection. So there.

Sometimes it's good to keep things brief, and that's what I'm going to do this time.

There's a lot of amazing live music coming up very soon on My Castle of Quiet, starting with black-metal monoliths Grafvolluth, next week! ...plus two double bills scheduled for October; more infos here.

Click on our artfully lit capture of hell-in-progress to reach the audio archives and playlist for last night's horrorcast™.

About Me

Joined WFMU-FM in 1984, broadcasting The Hip Bone show (1984-1999), and My Castle of Quiet (2009-present.)
Owner / operator, Prison Tatt Records.
10 years in the band Uncle Wiggly, plus other assorted musical accomplishments; solo sound artist and collaborator.
Writing freelance off and on for over 20 years.